Wine cellar builds should include a air-resistant and moisture-resistant barrier. The Importance of an Air Sealed Wine Cellar Build And, operating a refrigeration unit without air barriers and insulation would be very wasteful and expensive and create excessive temperature variation. Wine cellar cooling units depend on air-tight and well insulated spaces and will generally not provide adequate cooling without these conditions. The performance of a wine cellar depends greatly on an air and moisture tight build and sufficient thermal insulation of the floor, ceiling, walls and door. Air/Vapor barrier (often polyethylene sheeting).The general layers from outside the cellar to inside are: The insulation and moisture barrier will need to extend completely around the cellar build – floor, walls, ceiling and door. To consistently deliver wine cave like conditions within your home, your wine cellar build will need to be very well insulated, air and moisture sealed, and built with moisture-stable materials. Basement under-stairs closet I used to build a wine cellar Build a Wine Cellar to Provide Stable Wine Cave Like ConditionsĪ well-functioning wine cellar should mimic the conditions of natural wine caves – cool, moist, dark, vibration-free and stable. Good locations to consider an extra room in a basement, a spare basement closet, a basement under the stairs closet (the location I used) or a fresh build in the basement or ground floor of your home.īad locations to potentially avoid: an unheated garage or shed, a sunny room, an area that would be difficult to insulate and moisture seal. Consider ease of construction too when picking a place for your new cellar, finding a location with easy access to electricity, that is reasonably easy to seal, and insulate and somewhere that will allow you to install a through-the-wall or ducted wine cellar cooling unit. Ideal locations to build a wine cellar are within the conditioned areas in your home. When planning a wine cellar build, avoid locations that are too hot, cold or change temperature frequently. Consider a location for your new cellar that will help you achieve and maintain these ideal conditions. Like the conditions of natural wine caves, the perfect wine cellar is cool, moist and dark. Today underground wine caves remain important for the storage and maturation of wine at wineries around the world. Emilion FranceĮarly wine storage was frequently underground in wine caves, which naturally provided cool temps, high humidity and darkness. Limestone caves at Château Beauséjour, St. To obtain the above ideal wine cellar conditions, you can either choose a location with favorable existing conditions (root cellar, unconditioned basement, etc.) or actively create these conditions yourself by building a wine cellar. A good wine cellar should also operate at a reasonable cost. In addition to proper conditions, a wine cellar should be easy to use and in reasonable proximity to the areas where you will open and enjoy your wine. Horizontal bottle storage for continuous wine-to-cork contact.Temperature of 55 – 60 ℉ (55 ℉ is ideal).Ideal Wine Cellar ConditionsĪ good wine cellar provides the following ideal conditions for storing and aging of wine: Wines served cool will warm as you drink them, allowing the flavor profile to evolve as they are consumed. Reds served at room temperature are generally served too warm and white wines served at refrigerator temps are generally served too cold.īoth red and white wines tend to taste more balanced, and as the winemaker intended, if served near cellar temperatures of 50 – 60 ℉. Most wines are served too warm or too cold. Wines served too cold (refrigerator temps) express too little alcohol and volatile aromatics and result in “tight” and restrained tasting wines. Wines served too warm (room temperature or above) tend to express too much alcohol and aromatics, leading to a “flabby” and unfocused taste. Wine is a complex mixture of organic compounds and alcohol, whose flavor profile is largely influenced by the temperature-dependent release of these aromatic compounds. Lastly, storing and serving wine at cellar temperature, helps you to serve better-tasting wine. ALSO READ : Beadboard Ceiling Install At Our CabinĪlso, most finer wines will change or “improve” with age, and storing wines under ideal conditions provides the proper environment for this slow maturation process to occur.
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